As a parent, there is nothing more frightening than knowing your child has serious disabilities, yet living day to day without understanding how to help her. ARC changed our lives! Their staff immediately took us in and helped us with therapy and techniques to address her disabilities. For a family in our situation, there are no other organizations that can provide the care, expertise and resources ARC does. Simply put, their work is God's work to many families.

ARC of Martin County has done amazing work for my family, with little funding available. When we came through their doors for the first time in 2007, it was hard to see even a light at the end of the tunnel for our son. ARC taught us how to work with him daily on social, physical, and academic accomplishments. Now, not only is he able to do tasks on his own, he is thriving in his school! He has truly been given new opportunities in his youth.

Giving

ARC of Martin County’s Return on Investment

The ARC is saving taxpayers as much as 33% on every dollar providing higher quality community based services, as opposed to the State providing the services for the individuals in a state institution. If funding cuts continue, many non-profits such as ARC could be forced to close the very programs that operate more efficiently while providing a wonderful quality of life for citizens with disabilities.

More than ever, we need to rely on the generosity of our community to fulfill the critical gap in funding that impacts every individual receiving services provided at the ARC.

Care for your family today, while caring for thousands of families tomorrow.

Given the opportunity, most of us would like to make an important contribution that leaves our mark on the future, while providing for our own families. Yet many potential donors don’t realize that the two goals can be synonymous through thoughtful and well-planned giving. In addition, individuals may benefit from significant tax savings.

The ways to give are as diverse as the needs to be met. To read more, click on each of the sections below.

Gifts of Cash

Cash or check is probably the most common and popular type of property given. Cash makes a convenient gift for many donors and is easily recorded through canceled checks and receipts. When you itemize your deductions at tax time, your gifts of cash may be deducted in amounts up to fifty percent of your adjusted gross income; any excess can be deducted over the next five tax years.

Cash gifts to the ARC of Martin County have the added advantage of being immediately available to fund services for children and adults with developmental disabilities.

Stocks, including mutual funds, many types of bonds, and other publicly traded securities can become substantial gifts at a low after-tax cost. If you have property that has increased in value and you have owned it long enough to qualify as long-term capital gain property, you might consider using such an asset to make a charitable gift.

When you give appreciated property, you may receive a deduction for the full value of the asset, while you avoid the capital gains tax that would have been due if you had sold the property. With capital gains taxed as high as $.28 per dollar of gain for federal tax purposes, this can be a significant savings. You may generally deduct gifts in the form of appreciated property up to thirty percent of your adjusted gross income.

Securities with Decreased Value - When a security has decreased in value, it is often best to sell these and give the ash proceeds. You can then claim the capital loss AND deduct the charitable gift of the cash proceeds of the sale.

Securities with Fluctuation in Value - During periods of stock market fluctuation, you may own stock that has increased in value, and then experienced a loss. It may still be worth more than you paid. In this case, making a gift of the stock and repurchasing with available cash to establish a new “cost basis” may be the best tax planning strategy. By establishing a new cost basis, in the case of a stock decline, you now have a capital loss for tax purposes. If it increases, you have less gain to report on a subsequent sale.

The tax benefits available for gifts of appreciated real estate are similar to gifts of appreciated securities. First, you avoid paying the capital gains tax on the profit. Second, you receive an income tax deduction for the full-appraised value of the real estate.

In addition, you may reserve the right to either live in the property as long as you live, or during the lifetime of your surviving spouse. Such an arrangement permits a current income tax deduction for a portion of the fair-market value of the property.

Other properties to give include collections of value, works of art, Jewelry, Antiques, and other personal property which may also make practical and meaningful gifts. The amount of your allowable deductiondepends on the appraised value of the property and how the gift will be used.

The ARC of Martin County may be named as a beneficiary in your will. A testamentary bequest is a traditional way to provide for our programs. This method allows you to retain full use of your gift during your lifetime. Further, depending upon the value of your estate assets, the bequest may qualify as a deduction for estate tax purposes.

There are a number of common forms of bequest. For example, you might consider an outright gift of funds, either a specific dollar amount or a percentage of your estate. Alternatively, the ARC of Martin County might be named as secondary beneficiary to receive the residual of your estate.

Life insurance needs change as life continues. Children become self-sufficient, and in many instances investments provide income and security. After such developments, some life insurance coverage may no longer be needed. One of the simplest ways to receive a tax deduction and leave a significant gift is to name the ARC of Martin County as beneficiary to receive all or part of the proceeds of the policy. There are several methods to make a gift of life insurance; your attorney, accountant or other advisor will tailor an arrangement to meet your estate or financial plan.

These deferred or planned gifts are ways of making a significant contribution to the ARC of Martin County while providing you with an immediate tax deduction and with income for life. The gift may also be funded with securities or other property.

This may be accomplished by making a gift through a trust arrangement called an “Annuity Trust” or ‘Unitrust.” Through either arrangement you may:

Avoid income tax on appreciated property used to fund the gift

Receive the income earned by the gift for life (may include another designated beneficiary)

Increase income for your family

Defer income until retirement

Avoid gift tax

Reduce estate settlement costs

Charitable Annuity Trust - an Annuity Trust is an arrangement whereby you irrevocably place money or other property with a trustee, with instructions to pay you or someone else income, generally for life. Under an annuity trust, you or a designated beneficiary (or both) receive a fixed sum annually. The amount is agreed upon by the donor and the trustee at the time the gift is established.

The income payments you receive each year will be at least five percent of the amount placed in trust. The size of your tax deduction will depend on your age, payment percentage, and other factors.

Charitable Remainder Unitrust - like the Annuity Trust, the Charitable Remainder Unitrust provides a gift that returns income. Under this arrangement the donor or other beneficiary receives a percentage of the fair-market value of the trust assets. Thus, the income from a Unitrust may rise or fall from year to year.

Additions may be made to this trust, and a tax deduction is allowed, for a portion of each amount contributed. In light of the fact that IRAs and other retirement plans are now limited, the Unitrust might be an alternative to provide for your retirement years.

Charitable Lead Trust - this is essentially the reverse of life income plans; the Charitable Lead Trust pays income from the fund to the ARC of Martin County for the number of years you designate. At the end of the designated time period, the trust terminates and the assets are transferred to the person you name.